Family man seeks protection, another reported missing, with Jaffna HRC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2009, 15:53 GMT]
A father of four children and a carpenter by profession from Aanaikkoaddai in Valikaamam sought protection to his life with Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office as unidentified gunmen had tried to abduct him on 13 January from his residence during Sri Lanka Army (SLA) imposed curfew hours, according to the complaint lodged with HRC Thursday. Meanwhile, the wife of a three-wheeler driver registered a complaint with HRC Jaffna that her husband had gone missing since 30th October 2008 after leaving to Jaffna from Vavuniyaa.
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Youth shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2009, 13:36 GMT]
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Wednesday night a youth in Kaa’liku’lam in Vavuniyaa police division. On receipt of information from Poovarasanku’lam Village Officer (Grama Sevaka) Vavuniyaa police recovered the body of the youth Thursday morning and handed it over to Vavuniyaa general hospital. The victim is estimated to be around 25 years of age, the police said.
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SLA forcibly uproots civilians from occupied Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2009, 03:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been engaged in vacating civilians from the coastal villages earlier held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Vadamaraadchi East, to Kodikaamam in Thenmaraadchi and brought around 300 civilians in vehicles along the A9 road Wednesday making a total of 985 civilians along with those brought in during the last four days, according to Divisional Secretariat sources in Chaavakachcheari. Meanwhile, there have also been alleged reports of disappearances in the custody of the SLA. The latest move, to keep the civilians within military High Security Zone in Mirusuvil, has set off fears of military 'detention centres' like the ones reported in Mannaar and Vavuniyaa in recent times.
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Doctors call for attack free zones surrounding displaced hospitals

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 23:45 GMT]
In a systematic well planned militarily and politically crucial campaign, the Sri Lankan Government directed military forces are pursuing attacks on densely populated areas east of the A9 in Vanni. Often in close proximity to relocated hospitals and camps of the fleeing population, its strategy seems to be one of aerial bombardment followed by immediate ground attacks, involving heavy artillery and mortar attacks that have caused increased civilian casualties. Above statistics and ground reports, echo a plea from government service doctors in Vanni, who have called for 'attack free zones' surrounding displaced hospitals.
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Tamil farmer shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 January 2009, 17:43 GMT]
The body of a Tamil farmer with gun shot injuries to head was recovered Friday morning by residents of Katpahapuram in Vavuniyaa division. The victim had gone to the near by tank Thursday evening to take a bath but failed to return home, according to complaints lodged with the police by his relatives.
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SLA arrests 4 Tamil civilians in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2009, 20:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers took four Tamil civilians into custody Wednesday morning while they were resting in a hut located in a paddy field in Puthukku'lam in Vavuniyaa division on their return home after hunting. These youths are residents of Sasthrikoo'langku'lam and Puthukku'lam.
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Tamil civilian shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 January 2009, 11:09 GMT]
Armed men who arrived in a three-wheeler shot and killed a 30-year-old Tamil civilian Thursday night in his resident at Periyaku'lam in Vavuniyaa division, police sources said.
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SLA blocks gateway to Vanni civilians for 5th day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2009, 16:22 GMT]
A woman, wounded in Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombardment on 01 January succumbed to her wounds Monday night and other patients in need of urgent medical transport from Puthukkudiyiruppu to Vavuniyaa with ICRC escort remain blocked for days despite repeated attempts to access the road, which remained under Sri Lanka Army (SLA) artillery fire, as reported earlier. In the meantime, officials at the Government Agent's office in Vavuniyaa told media that the SLA has turned away humanitarian convoys despite their repeated attempts. Civilians in Vanni are refused essential supplies and refused critical medical transport, in violation to Geneva Conventions.
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2 Tamils reported missing in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 January 2009, 16:22 GMT]
Two Tamil civilians, one a 57-year old former manager of Mullaitivu branch of Peoples Bank, and the other a 29-year old owner of a Dehiwela eatery, are reported missing in Colombo since Monday, sources in Colombo said.
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Tamil family man shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 January 2009, 11:16 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead 48-year-old family man Sunday evening at Checkadipulavu junction in Vavuniyaa division, 150 meters away from his residence when he was leaving home to Vavuniyaa town, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
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TNA accuses Colombo of war crimes

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2009, 21:06 GMT]
Describing several recent escalation in incidents where Sri Lanka Armed Forces have targetted Tamil civilian during festive days between Christmas and Thaipongal, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a press release issued today, said that the "stringent economic, food and medical embargos on the war affected areas," ..."are not only War Crimes in contravention of the Geneva Conventions but are also a part of a policy of Genocide that the Sri Lankan State has been carrying out against the Tamil people." The release also noted with disappointment of the silence of the international community "whilst the Genocide of the Tamil people is taking place," and continuing military assistance of the international states to the Sri Lankan State "using various pretexts."
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SL Police arrests 13 Tamil civilians in Uddappu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 2009, 15:21 GMT]
Thirteen Tamil civilians, including a woman, were taken into custody in a cordon and search operation in Uddappu, a Tamil village in Munthal police division in Chilaw district, civil sources in Chilaw said. The operation was conducted Saturday morning from 4:00 a.m. for six hours.
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White van armed men abduct Tamil woman in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2009, 18:16 GMT]
A Tamil young woman was abducted by unidentified armed persons who arrived in white van Thursday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. when she was staying in her relative's house at Barathipuram in Vavuniyaa police division, according to complaints lodged by her mother with the police Friday.
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Artillery shelling continues in Vanni, civilian wounded, hospital full of wounded

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 January 2009, 17:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shelling continued to target densely populated civilian area in Pu'liaympokka'nai in Vanni on Saturday. A 61-year-old civilian was wounded at Karaveddiththidal in Pu'liyampokka'nai around 5:30 p.m. when at least 6 shells hit the settlement. Meanwhile hospital in Tharmapuram was full of injured civilians. Transport of seriously wounded patients for further treatment at Vavuniyaa hospital was blocked for the third day due to artillery shelling by the SLA, according to medical authorities.
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SLA shelling blocks ambulances, 2 injured in convoy

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2009, 09:56 GMT]
Two persons who accompanied with the convoy of ambulances from Puthukkudiruppu to Vavuniyaa were wounded when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) fired artillery shells at Mannaaka'ndal Friday morning, shortly after two ambulances left Puthukkudiyiruppu, medical authorities said. Two ambulances with 13 civilians with serious injuries, being transferred from Tharmapuram and Puthukkudiyiruppu hospitals to Vavuniyaa hospital, after getting clearance through the ICRC, were forced to turn back as the SLA stepped up artillery fire on the road.
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Tamil youth shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 December 2008, 13:04 GMT]
Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil youth at Ganeshapuram in Vavuniyaa police division Friday night. Police recovered his body with hands tied behind and blindfolded Saturday morning along the main road in Ganeshapuram. The victim has not been identified yet, civil sources said.
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Tamil principal shot, critically injured in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 December 2008, 14:15 GMT]
Unidentified armed persons shot and critically injured the principal of a government Tamil school located in Ganeshapuram in Vavuniyaa district Saturday night in his house. He was immediately admitted to the Vavuniyaa general hospital with serious injuries, police sources said.
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Tamil laborer shot dead in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 December 2008, 16:16 GMT]
Unidentified armed men shot dead Tuesday night a Tamil laborer working in the Vavuniyaa police station when he was returning home in Thonnikal in Vavuniyaa division after duty. His body was recovered from Ukkulangkulam junction blindfolded and hands tied from behind with gunshot injuries in his head, sources said.
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Colombo instructs Vanni GAs to refrain from requesting aid from UN Agencies, INGOs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2008, 05:55 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Commissioner General of Essential Services, S.B. Divaratne, in a letter issued to the Government Agents of Vavuniyaa, Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi last month has instructed the GAs to refrain from making any requests for food and non food assistance from INGOs and UN Agencies. "All your requirements should be processed throgh the Commissioner General of Essential Services, even in the event of any urgent necessity," the letter states. The content of the letter, which is interpreted as a threat to the Tamil GAs, is also document of evidence for how a structural genocide is being inflicted upon the Tamil people, an official serving under one of the GAs told TamilNet.
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Northbound train passengers face severe checks at Madawachchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 December 2008, 05:43 GMT]
Passengers traveling from Colombo to Vavuniyaa by Yaazhtheavi (Yaldevi) train are subjected to severe checks at Madawachchi railway station for more than an hour.
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